Nephoscope



Feb, 27, 1923. I

1,446,574. A. McADIE.

NEPHOSCOPE. FILED MAY 19. 1921. a SHEETS--SHEET a,

innn horn, on MILTON, Missiles-canines.

NEPEZOSCOPE.

Application filed may 19,

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALEXANDER li lol inrn,

a citizen ot the United States, and e resident of Milton, in the county of Norfolk and etc of hilassechusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in llephoscopes of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ncplioscopes and it consists in the constructions combinations and mode of operation herein described and claimed.

of the foremost objects of the invention is to provide an instrument for facilitating measu ing of the velocity of cloud travel and dc rating the directionof suc travel at sea elsewhere.

@ther objects and adv ntages ill appeer in the iollo ri specincetion, reterence being had to the accompanying drar-Jings, in which Figure l is a per-spec we proved nephosccpe, shcu'ir struinent up; ars when secondary si rod,

Figure 2- 1s a diagrainm tic BL'SJQCtlVG iiew which more fully described in conne tion With certain calculations carried out below,

Figure 3 is cross section of the nephescope,

Figure l is a detail perspective View 01" tile quadrant with its primary and secondary sighting rods,

F is a detail perspecti'v View ilg the construction and how the 'no' rods are connected to the central t' of the imhov-r the in- ;ing along the ure 6 is a plan View of the nephoscopc,

e T is a detail side elevation illusthe knife-edge mounting-j of the 11151 on the outer ring, and re 8 is a detail plan View, generally n the construction in Figure The mode of operation 1921. serial 1%.470930.

struction of the implement appears below under the hen ding;- detailed construction of the nephoscope.

The nephoscope is used principally to determine the following: (1) tetermine the horizontal dist: nce ll of the cloud Q from the nephoscope 1; (2) calculate the velocity of the cloud in meters per second. and indicate the direction ortravel ot the cloud. The observer should preferably select a cloud from the zenith tor the purposes of his observation.

Place the box 1 so that O. on the comsccle 2 is due south. The scale is'divided into ":00 degrees (according to the French u'iethod) instead of 360 degrees, and therefore each quarter containslOO degrees. 100 therefore correspondsto E on the ordinary compass, 200 to N, 300 to W and 079 ()1. 43:00 S.

Look into the mirror 3 and bring the conspicuous point X oi the cloiul C to the center {)hserve the travel of the cloud image c across the mirror, then turn the mirror until the line coincides with the path of tie image.

ll hen the observer finds that hehas line t in the right position, he adjusts t e secondary sighting rod 5 so as to bring it and the point x in line with his eye E. A slight shiftin of his position may be necessary in order to brim}; the conspicuous point X on the cloud C back to the point a: on the mirror 3, because the cloud image 0 will here advanced slightly across the mirror during the adjustment of the line 4e in obtaining the direction of travel.

Adjustment of the secondary sighting rod 5 will result in a corresponding movement of the primary sighting rod 6 over the quadrant T which is graduated on the side opposite the observer in Figure 2 in the natural tangents ot' the angles ot the prinmry sighting rod (3 with the mirror 3. These productions are shown in Figure 4. Should the Vernier 8 regist r with the reduu ion 1.0 it will ind' rod 6 is precisely at the mirror 3. or in other words. i and cosin are equal.

One element requires explanation helore the first calculation can be made. lt-

nec-

the

now 38 instead oi To ob server must adjust the siding rods 5 nd 0 lower, so that the rod 6 for ex inf-ole now coincides with the dotted line Z, which line represents a line of sight from the center 02 to a point X. on cloud '1 correspond n to X on the cloud C.

Assume that the tangent scale rea-cli (see Fig. t) is new 0.8. The altit he cloud is known having been determined by any one of the various means now employed at observatories, such for exai ple as the use of balloons, a base line and two theodolites, pilot balloons and one tho-odolite,.s1nol e trails (known abroad as shell bursts) dew-point values, etc.-thc base of the triangle will be divided by the tangent reading, in this 2 1-00 ineters divided. by 0.8 or 3000 meters.

Calculation (2) is to determine the velocity'ot the cloud in meters per second. 5

1 ll QC a, or

stop watch is needed. if the cloud (1 is 3M0 meters away along); the horizontal distance B (according to the first example in lation l) and the time in which the c c ransverscd the mirror 3 is seconds, toe velocity of the cloud in meters persecond will be the result of dividing the horizontal distance by the time in words or 300 divided by 50 equals meters per-second.

lalculation is really-no calculation at all, but merely a. ascertainment oi graduation on the scale 2 to which the direc- 7 tion line l Joints. Accordino to the showing in Figure 2,'the direction line Joints to 250. Since this is halfway between the graduations 200 (N) and 300 (l -7). the cloudC is traveling northwest.

now

The details 0; construction 0 tkemcpiiw scope.

' acl; poland tie ion line circle 10. The i;

111i ror.

A. flanged plate 11 (see 3) contains the mirror. This plate has a pendent stei i is known distance Consider lily 3031 This weight, coonerating .vlllil the iinbal rings l t and 15, s )lllZQ the i :1. r it always remains in a subitantit zontal position, no nutter 10W 2 be l of the nephoscooe may sway is. side to side.- Thi arrangement i cial value when the instrunien aboard ship.

Trunnions 16 on pla es se air posits sides the b0 1, support ring 'l runnions l8 Fig. inner ring 15 at p ices 50 from ni n 16, su ort th s inner ringin ring. The t ,nions it? have lrn'i gcndent the cornmentioned it. bracket structure .19 (seel igg; S from the inner ring 15, sroports pass ring or. scale 2 wnic in connection with the deure 2. Both rings an l t con are lXGCl so far rotational inovenient is may l I ition eds are obtainec. by

n the rertical. no head 32 with t:

corners the Q'lllil ing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope or the claims.

l. A nephoscope, comprising a plane mirror lor reilectin a cloud image, a rod for tstablishing a line of sight between the mirror center and a point on the cloud, and a quadrant along which the sighting rod is adjustable, having the natural tangents of the angles formed by the sighting rod and mirror graduated and marked thereon.

2. A nephoscope, comprising a plane mirror "for reflecting a cloud image, a rod pivoted at the center of the mirror and for establishing a line or" sight between said center and a point on the cloud, a quadrant reaching from one side of the mirror to a place above the center, the quadrant having the natural tangents of the angles formed by the sighting rod and mirror inscribed thereon; and a vernier carried by the sighting rod movable over said inscriptions as the rod is adjusted along the quadrant.

3. A nephoscope, comprising a mirror, companion sighting rods pivoted at the mirror center, the primary rod establishing a line of sight between the center and a point of a cloud the image of which is reflected in the mirror, the secondary sighting rod being a prolongation of the reflection of the primary rod; means for simultaneously adj usting the rods to vary the angles with the mirror, and a quadrant along which the primary rod moves, inscribed with th natural. tangents ot the angles formed by the primary sighting rod and the mirror.

A nephoscop comprising a mirrorpart of the base of a triangle, a sighting rod forming part of the hypotenuse ot a triangle, and a quadrant along which the rod is adjustable, having calibras in the natural tangents of the angles n by the rod and mirror, furnishin a factor for the calculation of the length triangle base when the height of the vertical side has been determined by 0. ii neohoscope, comprising a plane cirwith a depression 111 the center.

uadrant, means supporting the quadrant,

I 1 g 7 L I ilill nub beneath tne mirror LO waich form, obviously modifications. and changes may be madew1thout depart on the standard for, adjusting both angularly in respect tothe standard, one rod nioving over calibrations along the quadrant.v

6. A nephoscope, comprising a black plane circular mirror with a central depression, a quadrant, means by which the quadrant is carried extending beneath the mirror, a hub with which said means has bearing connection and on which the quadrant is circumterentially adjustable, a central standard pendent from the zenith of the quadrant into the depression with which a conspicuous point or" a reflected cloud image should coincide at the beginning of an observation of the travel of the image across the mirror, primary and secondary sighting rods pivoted. on the standard at said center, means by which said rods are simultaneously adjustable along the standard, the primary rod being adjustable along the quadrant, the secondary rod being sighted along with the eye toward the center; and graduations on the quadrant marked in the natural tangents of the angles formed by the primary rod with the mirror.

7, ii nephoscope, comprising a plane mirror, a quadrant niounted in proximity to one side of the mirror, a plumb rod fixed at the base of the quadrant and rising perpendicularly to the mirror, a bracket on the rod, and a plumb bob pendent from the bracke 8. A nephoscope, comprising a pair of gimbal rings, a bracket structure carried by the inner ring, a compass scale supported by said structure, bearing means carried by said structure, a plane circular mirror revolubly mounted in said bearing means, said mirror having a central depression, a second bracket extending from said bearing means having a portion movable in a space between the mirror and compass scale edges, a quadrant V-arried by said second bracket, the bracket extending into bearlng engageu'ient with said bearing means to enable circiunterential adjustment of the quadrant; a standard pend ent irom the zenith ot' the quadrant and resting at the lower end in the depression in the mirror face, a pair of si hting rods having a pivotal mounting upon l standard, means to I t the sighting rods in respect to the standard, and an adjustable Vernier on one of tie rods which moves along the quadrant.

i nepl'ioscope comprising a mirror, a quadrant rising tom the edge of the mirror and extending over the center. a standard pendent from the quadrant and defining a perp icular in respect to the mirror. a pair oi ghting ods of which one is adapted to traverse he quadrant, the othcr to be used "for sighting;

means provit ing a common pivot for the rods upon the standard, and adjustable means by Which the positions of the rods are Varied simultaneously in respect to each other and to the standard.

10. A nephoscope comprising a circular mirror, means beneath the mirror for supporting the same, a compass scale mounted concentrically of the mirror but leaving an annular space, a quadrant extending over the mirror, and means pivotally mounted on the mirror support and extending 10 lar movements of the quadrant support to change the radial positions of the quadrant in respect to the mirror and compass 15 scale are made possible.

ALEXANDER MoADllil. 

